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08.17.17

Tye McGinn signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Lightning on Thursday.

Impact

McGinn didn't appear in a single game with the Lightning last season, and instead spent the entirety of the 2016-17 campaign in the minors, notching 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 21 games with AHL Syracuse. This is nothing more than an organizational depth signing for Tampa Bay.

08.17.17

Zemgus Girgensons agreed to terms on a two-year contract with Buffalo on Thursday worth $1.6 million average annual value, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.

Impact

Girgensons past two seasons have been disappointing – a combined 34 points from 2015-17 – after a solid sophomore campaign in 2014-15 (15 goals and 15 helpers). Despite the drop off in production, the 23-year-old was one of the Sabres' offseason priorities that they have now locked in for two more years. Considering he averaged a mere 13:10 of ice time last season, the center figures to offer mid-range fantasy value at best.

08.17.17

Travis Zajac underwent surgery on a torn pectoral muscle and will miss the next 4-to-6 months.

Impact

Zajac played in 80 contests last season and was inline to challenge for a third straight 40-plus point campaign. Instead the center will be out until mid-December – at the earliest. With the 32-year-old sidelined, Pavel Zacha will likely slot in as the first-line center and rookie Nico Hischier could be forced into a top-six role right out of the gate.

08.17.17

Riley Sheahan is likely to slot in on the fourth line for the Red Wings once the new season gets underway, MLive.com reports.

Impact

Last year, Sheahan struggled to a putrid minus-29 rating and didn't score until the very last game, when he happened to put two past the Devils. The Vegas expansion club overlooked him, so he'll remain in Motown with one year left on a contract at an annual cost of $2.075 million. With Detroit's NHL franchise currently about $4 million in the salary-cap hole, Sheahan will need to have a strong training camp to avoid the dreaded waiver process – or, more likely, a trade.

08.17.17

Mikael Granlund (hand) hurt his ankle during training, but is expected to resume his offseason regimen in two weeks, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports.

Impact

Granlund is already working through a broken hand he suffered during the playoffs and now will miss two weeks of training with an ankle ailment. At this point, neither malady is expected to impact his availability for the 2017-18 campaign – although fantasy owners may start to question his durability.

08.16.17

John Tavares is not feeling any pressure to sign an extension with the Islanders, Arthur Staple of Newsday reports.

Impact

This season marks the last of the current contract for Tavares that pays him $5.5 million per season. Tavares has seen the massive contracts handed out to players like Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid and understands he may be able to double his annual pay with a new deal. He also seems willing to wait until there is further clarity on where the team will be playing in the future, a situation that may not be come clear before he reaches free agency next July. If Tavares and the Islanders aren't able to come to an agreement on a contract extension before the NHL trade deadline, the team may be forced to move Tavares for as much as they can get via a trade rather than risk he leaves, and the Isles receive nothing in return.

08.16.17

Dominic Toninato signed an entry-level contract with the Avalanche on Wednesday.

Impact

Toninato is a 23-year-old pivot starting his professional hockey career following four solid seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. His NCHC totals include 91 points over 151 games, so he could end up as quality pickup for a franchise that desperately needs to climb out of the rubble on the heels of a historically poor season (22-56-4 record). The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder, who was originally drafted by the Leafs in the fifth round of the2012 NHL Draft, is described by GM Joe Sakic as "a big, responsible two-way center."

08.16.17

Matt Cullen agreed to terms on a one-year, $1million contract with the Wild on Wednesday, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports.

Impact

Not ready to hang up his skates, Cullen will return for a 20th NHL campaign – back with his home-state Minnesota Wild. The former second-round pick did have the chance for a three-peat with Pittsburgh, but has always stated that family comes first. The veteran will likely slot in as the fourth-line center and could see time on the penalty kill – both roles he thrived in while with the Pens.

08.16.17

Leon Draisaitl signed an eight-year, $68 million contract extension with the Oilers on Wednesday.

Impact

The 21-year-old German had a season to remember in 2016-17, setting career highs in goals (29), assists (48) and shots on goal (172) in 82 games with the Oilers. The 2014 first-round pick continued to dominate in the playoffs, racking up 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 13 postseason contests. Edmonton has now locked up its two most important offensive weapons in Connor McDavid and Draisaitl for the foreseeable future, and although the club has dedicated $21 million on an annual basis to those two players, the Oilers will now undoubtedly be a serious contender in the West for the foreseeable future. Draisaitl will continue to occupy a top-six role and a spot on Edmonton's first power-play unit throughout his tenure with the Oilers, and he shouldn't have any issue approaching and often surpassing the 80-point threshold on a seasonal basis, making him an elite option in all fantasy formats.

08.16.17

Barring any setbacks in his recovery from ACL surgery, Robby Fabbri (knee) will be a full participant in September's training camp.

Impact

Fabbri underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in February, an injury that forced the 21-year-old forward to miss the final 30 games of the 2016-17 campaign. The 2014 first-round pick resumed skating in early August, and he's even been on the ice with some of his teammates of late, including Joel Edmundson, Zach Sanford, Jordan Schmaltz and Brayden Schenn, but he has yet to be cleared for contact. However, he should receive full clearance before training camp gets underway in September, meaning he should hit the ground running when the regular season kicks off Oct. 4 against Pittsburgh. Fabbri was a solid contributor before sustaining his season-ending injury last campaign, notching 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 51 games, and he has the talent to break through the 50-point threshold this season if he's able to avoid major injury.

08.15.17

Erik Condra (back) has yet to resume skating after offseason back surgery, Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact

Condra had a great minor-league campaign last year – 48 points in 55 outings – but this lingering back issue could impact his ability to parlay that into more ice time with the Lightning. If he can't give it a go for training camp, the winger will likely be forced to begin the season in the AHL. Once fully healthy, the 31-year-old should be able to suit up in more than the 13 contests he did in 2016-17 – although fantasy owners probably shouldn't expect him to be much more than a 20-point player in the NHL.

08.15.17

According to general manager Don Sweeney, David Pastrnak will not be traded prior to the start of the season, Brian Compton of NHL.com reports.

Impact

Pastrnak still remains unsigned heading into the 2017-18 campaign – which is likely the impetus for the rumors circulating that Boston might try to move him. With Sweeney shutting the door on any speculation, the two sides can get back to figuring out a deal that works for both sides.

Impact

Marchenko went unclaimed off waivers, which fantasy owners should have seen coming, considering he had already announced his intention of heading to Russia. The fact that the blueliner was willing to commit to three seasons away from the NHL does come as a surprise, however. Given he managed just eight points in 41 outings last year – split between Toronto and Detroit – it may not be worth it to stash Marchenko away until he (potentially) returns to North America.

08.14.17

Shane Prince had surgery on his ankle and is expected to miss 4-to-6 months.

Impact

The Isles were hoping to stick to non-intrusive methods – per their release – but ultimately the decision was made that Prince would go under the knife. On the short end of his recovery timeline, the winger could be available in mid-December – although it might also be as late as mid-February if he suffers any setbacks. When healthy last season, the 24-year-old periodically got the plum assignment of lining up next to John Tavares – a role he never seemed fully comfortable with, as he managed just 18 points in 50 contests.

08.14.17

Alexey Marchenko will head to the KHL next season after being placed on unconditional waivers Monday, James Mirtle of The Athletic reports.

Impact

Marchenko was likely going to be watching from the press box more often than not this season. Combined with a $1.45 million cap hit, the Leafs obviously felt it wasn't worth it to retain the blueliner – who they picked up off waivers last season. With the announcement he intends to play in the KHL, it is unlikely any NHL club will want to snatch him off the waiver wire.

08.14.17

Matt Greene will join the Los Angeles organization as a member of the scouting department – ending his 12-year professional career, LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen reports.

Impact

After three years with Edmonton, Greene spent nine seasons with the Kings – racking up a total of 615 NHL games in which he registered 17 goals and 63 assists. During the 2016-17 campaign, the 34-year-old saw action in just 26 outings – in part due to injuries – so it should come as little surprise he is ready to enter the next phase of his career in hockey.

08.14.17

Dwight King agreed to terms on a two-year deal with KHL Avtomobilist Jekaterinburgh on Monday, KHL Insider Aivis Kalnins reports.

Impact

King was brought in by the Habs at the trade deadline last season in an attempt to add some toughness and grit to their lineup – with the hope of making a deep playoffs run. That clearly didn't pan out as Montreal was bounced in the opening round by the Rangers and has since moved on from the winger. In 80 total appearances last season, the Saskatchewan native notched nine goals and seven helpers. Considering he has broken the 20-point threshold just twice in his career, King's move to Russia should probably impact only a handful of fantasy owners in the deepest of leagues.

08.14.17

Alexey Marchenko was designated for waivers by Toronto on Monday, according to agent Dan Milstein.

Impact

This could just be a procedural move to allow the Leafs the ability to move Marchenko up and down between the NHL and AHL. However, it could also be linked to his $1.45 million cap hit as Toronto is already expected to rely on long-term injured reserve to stay below the cap. A statement is expected to be released Tuesday, which should clarify the situation and what it means for the blueliner's future with Auston Matthews & Co.

08.14.17

Marek Mazanec inked a one-year deal with HC Slovan of the KHL on Monday.

Impact

Mazanec's future has been all over the place this offseason as he was originally placed on waivers – after filing for arbitration – only to agree to a one-year contract with the Predators. Now it appears the netminder will head to the KHL this year, rather than suiting up with AHL Milwaukee. It's possible the team agreed to this plan in order to further develop the 26-year-old, who is fourth on the team's depth chart behind Juuse Saros and Matt O'Connor. What this means for Mazanec's career with Nashville is murky at best – but fantasy owners may not want to risk stashing him away given the lack of clarity.

08.13.17

Jakob Chychrun (knee) likely will return at some point in the 2017-18 season, according to Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet.

Impact

The 'Yotes don't have an exact timetable for the highly touted defenseman's return, and a previous report indicated that they won't have another update on his condition until training camp begins Sep. 14. However, the good news is that his surgery was deemed successful and Tocchet sounds rather optimistic about Chychrun's eventual prognosis. "He's just a beast," he said. "If this happened to somebody else, you might have a guy who's out for the year. I don't know the timeframe (for his recovery), but it's not for the year. It's something that he's going to bounce back (from). He's an animal. It's almost like we've got to crank this kid down a little bit."